Family Vacay in the Utopian Land Called Door County, Wisconsin
Our family was invited by the Door County Visitor’s Bureau to visit for a few days this summer.
You could easily spend a week in Door County and not finish everything on your bucket list. Door County is a long and narrow Peninsula on the eastern side of the state of Wisconsin. It is about 2.5 hours from Milwaukee and 4.5 hours from Chicago and Minneapolis.
Door County is surrounded by the bright blue waters of Lake Michigan which makes the plethora of beaches, parks, lakeside dining, boat rides and famous lighthouses impossible to miss.
Small towns like Egg Harbor, Sister Bay, Ephraim, and Fish Creek line the roads through the peninsula.
The well manicured towns are filled with vibrant restaurants, churches, art galleries, old fashion ice cream shoppes, boutiques and more.
Inland you will find orchards, lakes, parks, preserves, wineries, farms, golf courses and dreamy little cabins available to rent.
The county is topped off with an island to the north called Washington Island. It is a 20 minute ferry ride and well worth it! We visited a beach and a lavender farm there.
We chose to do activities that we had never done before. Activities that are unique to the Door County region. This area consistently is recognized nationally as a top summer town to visit and it is easy to see why!
Portage Park all to ourselves!
First I want to confess that I typically avoid touristy areas during peak season. I love the off-beaten path. I love empty spaces. And I dislike long lines! Well we found out that Door County has plenty of space for everyone! Even during their absolute peak season when nearly all the lodging is full, not one store, orchard, beach or activity had lines or crowds so large that it was a deterrent. The only places I saw with large groups of people were the restaurants at prime eating times… and you’ll find that everywhere you go in the world, right? Just make a reservation or come early and enjoy a cocktail!
I would (and WILL) definitely come back to Door County at the exact same time!
Our view at Westwood Shores Resort
We stayed at the lovely Westwood Shores Resort. It was right on the water and our 2 bedroom suite had plenty of space for our family! My kids loved the warm indoor pool.
I cherished my early morning coffee by the bay. You can read full details of our stay at Westwood Shores here.
Westwood Resort is located in Sturgeon Bay so that acted as our base town.
There is so much to do in Sturgeon Bay that you could spend a week just there!
Tall Ships in Sturgeon Bay
We especially enjoyed the Tall Ship Festival, the restaurants, the parks, cherry orchards, beaches and the shops!
Tall Ships in Sturgeon Bay
Once every three years the tall ships come into the bay and the town of Sturgeon Bay celebrates. Resorts along the water have live music and specials. This year the Maritime Museum stayed open late. The Sturgeon Bay Visitor Center sold cherry mimosas to toast their departures in the morning. There is a Parade of Sail and other activities.
Tall Ships, rope climbers, kids and kayaks outside the Maritime Museum in Sturgeon Bay
Some of the ships welcomed visitors. We watched in amazement as folks climbed high up the ropes!
View from Sunset Park in Sturgeon Bay
Sunset Park in Sturgeon Bay was a nice spot to watch the tall ships as the sun set.
Sturgeon Bay Canal North Pierhead Light
It is only a short drive to the “other” side of Sturgeon Bay which is the east side of the peninsula on Lake Michigan.
Visiting this bright red lighthouse was a great family outing. We were the only ones there! During one of the busiest weekends of the year you can still find plenty of places and spaces to yourself in Door County!
Beach at Portage Park
We also visited the beach at Portage Park which is just north of the red lighthouse.
The sand was great for playing. The boys dug a huge hole and waited for the waves to fill it with water.
Beach at Portage Park
The water is bright blue, very cool and instantly refreshing.
We also visited the main street (3rd Avenue) in Sturgeon Bay.
We enjoyed several restaurants and supper clubs! We’d recommend the Inn at Cedar Crossing Restaurant and the Nightingale Supper Club if you’re into traditional Wisconsin supper clubs! (We love them!)
Door County Confectionery is a feast for the eyes and belly.
Door County Confectionary
We let our boys pick a souvenir from here. Cy chose chocolate and Arlo chose a stuffed animal.
We also spent parts of our trip exploring the peninsula. On our first night we enjoyed a Fish Boil at Rowley’s Bay Resort.
The night begins with a 30 minute “show” where (an actor portraying) Peter Rowley teaches you about the history of the fish boil, the land and the resort.
During the show, fresh whitefish that was caught that day in Lake Michigan is dumped into a boiling caldron alongside potatoes, onions and other ingredients. Afterwards it is served in a buffet alongside other meat options, vegetables and homemade Door County cherry desserts.
There is so much to share about the Fish Boil at Rowley’s Bay Resort that I wrote a separate blog posting. You can read it here.
“We Like It Where” at Northern Sky Theater.
Stage credits: Lisa Schlenker: Scenic Design. Bryce Foster: Lighting Design. Kathleen Rock: Prop Design.
After dinner we headed to the Northern Sky Theater in Fish Creek. It is an outdoor theater in a state park! We brought in a cooler with a few beverages and treats. (Alcohol is not allowed.)
This theater was very family friendly. The shows last an average of an hour and fifteen minutes . We saw a play called “We Like It Where?” The acting was as good as any play I’ve seen in a large city! I’ve heard that the theaters in Door County attract a national audience and cast.
Everyone told us to bring bug spray. We did and we used it. However the bugs were not bad at all. They were much more present in the grassy parking lot.
Anyways - add this activity to your list! It was super fun to watch a play outdoors and under the stars. This would be romantic for a date night too.
The next day the boys enjoyed the pools at our resort and then we headed off to Washington Island. We stopped at Door County Ice Cream Factory in Sister Bay for some sandwiches and ice cream along the way.
If you are from Wisconsin then you know already what Blue Moon flavored ice cream is. The flavor has been my favorite since I was very little. It is bright blue and has a wonderful sort of almond-extract flavor that remains a mystery to all of us except those who make it!
Door County Ice Cream Factory serves homemade Blue Moon flavored ice cream… as well as an ice cream flavor called “Fish Boil" that actually looked pretty good! (No fish products except gummy fish are used!)
Visiting Fragrant Isles Lavender Farm was really a dream come true. It is a lavender farm on Washington Island with over 20,000 live lavender plants. They are open to the public seven days a week April through November.
I encourage you to set aside time to take some photos and buy some products, but most importantly just sit and take in the beauty and the smells!
The scent of lavender fills the air. It is truly a feast for your eyes and noses! The shop sells high quality products created using the lavender grown at the farm. You can purchase treats like lavender ice cream and chocolate. I wrote a separate blog on our visit to this magical farm. You can read it here.
We took in the sunset along Egg Harbor as we drove back to Sturgeon Bay that night.
The next day was Arlo’s eighth birthday and he chose to go cherry picking!
We headed to Soren’s Valhalla Orchard near Sturgeon Bay.
They have two types of cherries that you can pick: Tart and sweet.
The tart cherries (pictured here) are bright red and used for pies and baking.
The sweet cherries (pictured here) are a little darker. You are allowed to eat as many cherries as you like while you pick! That made for some red hands, faces and a lot of laughs! Cherry season is open for a few weeks every year. Usually in late July. We went home with two full buckets of cherries. This is a great all-age activity. We loved this outing so much - I did a separate blog on it. You can read it here.
Finally we wrapped up our time in Door County by picking up some souvenirs. First we stopped at Grandma Tommy’s where we bought cherry jam, salsa, homemade salad dressings, a brightly colored tote bag and…
some choice sweets! We chose an apple pie for Grandpa and some fudge for the boys.
Finally, we’ve decided that Renard’s Cheese will always be our go-to last stop in Door County on our way home. Great for sandwiches, hot and cold cheese curds and more edible souvenirs!
Our time in Door County was priceless. It is easy to see why this area is so highly rated. There truly is something for everyone. We will forever cherish our memories of this special trip.
We’d like to say a big thank-you to Door County Visitor’s Bureau for inviting us to visit. And a thank you to all the wonderful business owners and employees we met during our time in Door County!
We will be back!
(Click here if you’d like to read about my solo fall visit a few years ago.)
{All opinions and ideas are my own - of course.😊 Our trip was sponsored by Door County Visitor’s Bureau.}
Door County Cherry Picking Adventures at Soren's Valhalla Orchards
Our son Arlo turned eight while on our trip to Door County so we let him call the shots that day. What a lucky kid! In the morning we listed off all sorts of activities to choose from like mini golf, the beach, go karts, a boat ride, etc.
Arlo chose cherry picking as his top choice! Can you see the “Eight” on his shirt?! He was so proud to turn eight. He told everyone he saw!
So we headed to Soren’s Valhalla Orchards in Sturgeon Bay. It was close to where we were staying and it had been recommended to us.
There are many things to love about this family owned farm but my favorite was their laid back attitude!
After a warm welcome, they handed us a couple of buckets and sent us on our way! Not a lot of rules and very welcoming.
They told us that there are two types of cherries that we could pick: tart and sweet. The tart cherries are brighter red (pictured here) and are typically used for baking and canning.
The trees were filled with cherries. The cherries were so ripe that they practically fell into our hands.
The orchard has ladders that you are welcome to use if you like. You don’t need to though. There are plenty of cherries within reach while you’re standing. I would definitely say this is a great “all-ages” activity for the whole family!
They also said that we could eat as much as we liked while we picked! That’s what really made our adventure fun! We laughed and snacked our way through the entire morning. Nothing beats fresh cherries right off the tree!
By the end our hands, chins and even legs were covered in cherry juice! Ha!
I promise if you go - you don’t HAVE to get covered in juice! Thats just a bi-product of our snacking habits!
We came home with the best Door County souvenir I can think of - two full buckets of fresh cherries!
We were very lucky that we happened to be in Door County during prime cherry picking season. It is only a few weeks long. Typically in late July. If you cannot make it during that window of time, do not fret. The entire peninsula is filled with Door County cherry products. You’ll find jams, pies, salsa, cookies, breads, ice cream and more for sale everywhere you go!
It is safe to say that Arlo had a terrific start to his birthday!
Thank you to Soren’s Valhalla Orchards for the wonderful morning! If you’d like to visit them, you can read more online at www.sorensvalhallaorchards.com
{All opinions and ideas are my own - of course.😊} Our trip was sponsored by Door County Visitor’s Bureau.